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PCB Areawide - N Bradford St right-of-way

Summary Information
(last updated on: 2/24/2023 9:50:01 AM)
[2/24/2023 VCP/Landes]:
Latest Update
Two diesel spills occurred along the railroad tracks during routine train travel, spilling diesel onto asphalt and the gravel under the tracks. DEQ provided the community an update on these spills at a joint meeting on February 16, 2023 - see the presentation.

Both Union Pacific Railroad and Peninsula Iron Works have completed their soil sampling in the N. Bradford Street project area. These samples will take longer to process since the work is being done outside of DEQ. We’re hoping to have results in early spring 2023.

In 2022, DEQ obtained funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do soil sampling in Cathedral Park near the railroad area where we knew there was some contamination. DEQ and OHA met with community members in July to talk about the results. Download the presentation, see a map of the sampling areas and results, and read the associated factsheet.

You can stay up to date on this project by:
  • Checking the project webpage for the latest updates, community meetings, and opportunities to get involved.
  • Checking this ECSI webpage for the latest project technical documents.
  • Reaching out to Portland Harbor Community Coalition at contact@phccoalition.org who are coordinating community efforts around this work.
Background
Elevated levels of contamination have been detected along the railroad right-of-way along N Bradford St adjacent/through Cathedral Park (see images below). While they do not present a short-term threat to public health, more sampling is necessary to make sure there is no risk of long-term health effects for someone who is regularly exposed to the soil in this area.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) were detected in surface soils and in areas of stormwater ponding along the North Bradford Street Right-of-Way in 2011. Surface soils in this area were sampled and analyzed by the City of Portland for PCBs, which were detected at concentrations ranging from 54 µg/kg to 21,700 µg/kg. These soils were determined to no longer have a pathway to the river in a source control decision at Peninsula Iron Works (ECSI# 5686). However, park users may be exposed to PCBs at levels that exceed DEQ's soil occupational risk-based concentrations. Therefore, soil investigation and remediation is likely warranted and DEQ anticipates participation by adjacent property owners and operators as needed.

DEQ is actively engaging property owners and operators to move this site forward through our process for site investigation and cleanup. Both Union Pacific Railroad and Peninsula Iron Works have signed letter agreements to participate in the Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP).

The VCP process takes time, but DEQ is committed to moving the project along as quickly as possible and keeping the community informed. In addition, DEQ obtained funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do soil sampling in Cathedral Park in 2022. ECSI# 6503 Cathedral Park describes this soil sampling effort.

DEQ has been meeting with community members since October 2021 to discuss site information and next steps. DEQ's portion of those presentations can be found in the Site Documents section on this ECSI webpage. DEQ also maintains a project webpage with FAQs and project information.

General Site Information
Site: PCB Areawide - N Bradford St right-of-way (ECSI Site ID: 6480) CERCLIS (EPA) Id
Project Manager: Franziska Landes Investigative Status:Contamination Suspected
PM Phone: 503-229-5538 NPL(National Priority Listing):No
Address: North Bradford Street Is this site an Orphan?No
Portland, 97203 Is this site a brownfield?No
County: MULTNOMAH Action Underway or Needed: REMOVAL
Region: Northwest Region Click for more details ...  
Site Documents
Click the link to view the document.
File NameCategory File Size MB Document Date Upload Date
2021-10-11-6480-PIW-Options-Letter.pdf Correspondence 0.5252 10/11/2021 11/15/2021
2021-10-11-6480-UPRR-Options-Letter.pdf Correspondence 0.5236 10/11/2021 11/15/2021
2012-08-06-DEQ-Risk_Screening_CathedralPark.pdf Memos 2.2069 8/6/2012 10/5/2021
2021-10-05-ECSI6480-CommunityMeeting.pdf Miscellaneous 1.8274 10/5/2021 10/20/2021
1964_Northside of St Johns Bridge.pdf Miscellaneous 0.3034 1/1/1964 1/18/2022
2021-11-30-ECSI6480-CommunityMtg-DEQslides.pdf Miscellaneous 0.8518 11/30/2021 1/19/2022
6480-UPRR-VCP-Agreement_signed.pdf Miscellaneous 0.3219 2/7/2022 4/14/2022
6480-PIW-VCP-Agreement_2022_signedPIW.pdf Miscellaneous 0.4809 2/1/2022 4/14/2022
2023-02-16-ECSI6480-CommunityMtg-UPRROilSpill.pdf Miscellaneous 6.4682 2/16/2023 2/24/2023
2022-07-28-ECSI6480-CommMtg-SampleResults.pdf Miscellaneous 3.1520 7/28/2022 2/24/2023
2022-07-28-ECSI6480-CommMtg-SampleResults.pdf Miscellaneous 3.1520 7/28/2022 2/24/2023
2023-05-22-OrderOnConsentRemovalActionPIWSigned.pdf Orders/Consent Judgments 0.7170 5/22/2023 5/25/2023
2023-05-19-6480-DEQ-PIW-CO+SOW+att.pdf Orders/Consent Judgments 5.6052 5/22/2023 6/6/2023
2011-CityRequest-SiteAssessment_PIW_final and att.pdf Reports 19.3137 12/13/2011 9/29/2021
2020-05-19-ECSI5686_PIW_SourceControlEvaluation.pdf Reports 5.3316 5/19/2020 10/5/2021
2020-09-08-ECSI5686_PIW_SourceControlDecision.pdf Reports 4.8698 9/8/2020 10/5/2021
2012-03-16_WetWeatherFieldObservations-Jan2012.pdf Reports 1.1917 3/16/2012 1/18/2022
2012-05-00-BES-OutfallBasin52-SourceInvestigationReport-reduced.pdf Reports 21.6817 5/1/2012 1/26/2022
2013-12-00-BES-OF52-Completion-Report-from-Municipal-SW-SC-Report.pdf Reports 0.7742 12/1/2013 1/26/2022
2022-06-24-6503-MFA-Cathedral-Park-SSA-Report.pdf Reports 22.5180 6/24/2022 7/28/2022
2022-06-24-6503-MFA-Cathedral-Park-SSA-Report.pdf Reports 22.5180 6/24/2022 7/28/2022
2022-02-25-UPRR-Portland-N-Bradford-WP_withDEQresponse.pdf Work Plans 2.0008 2/25/2022 4/14/2022
2022-05-12-6503-MFA-Cathedral-Park-SSA-WP-reduced.pdf Work Plans 6.7438 5/12/2022 5/12/2022
2022-05-06-UPRR-Portland-N-Bradford-Revised-WP_withDEQresponse.pdf Work Plans 7.8669 5/6/2022 7/26/2022
2022-05-10-6480-PIW-WorkPlan_wDEQresponse.pdf Work Plans 12.2685 5/10/2022 7/26/2022
2022-09-13-UPRR-Portland-N-Bradford-WorkPlan_withRTC_DEQresponse.pdf Work Plans 8.0195 9/13/2022 10/11/2022
2022-08-12-6480-PIW-revisedWorkPlan_wDEQresponse.pdf Work Plans 14.9179 8/12/2022 10/28/2022
2023-05-23-6480-CityofPortland-CPSurfaceSoilSampling.pdf Work Plans 4.7605 5/23/2023 6/6/2023
Photographs

Click on the Photograph to see a larger version.

Site Location
10/5/2021
Photos of site location
10/5/2021
Google Earth view of railroad crossing
10/5/2021
2011 Total PCBs collected in soil and stormwater sediments by City of Portland.
10/28/2011
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Department of Environmental Quality
700 NE Multnomah Street, Suite 600 Portland, OR 97232
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Email: DEQInfo@deq.state.or.us | Phone: 503-229-5696 | Fax: 503-229-6124

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